


Something Lonesome About You

by TrickrTreason



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Crying, Fluff, M/M, blink and you miss it great gatsby reference, cuddling during horror movies, my usual brand of purple prose, soft boys finding love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23673415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrickrTreason/pseuds/TrickrTreason
Summary: Gabe and Andy find themselves in a budding friendship, but that's all it is, right? Feelings will be revealed under the blue light of a television screen
Relationships: Andy Bernard/Gabe Lewis
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	Something Lonesome About You

It was kind of nice, the arrangement they had. After Erin had broken up with both Andy and Gabe, they were even more social outcasts than before, too awkward, too earnest, too much for their fellow office workers to handle, too much for anyone besides each other. Well, in private of course, they both had airs to put on at work, still had to pretend to not notice the disdain everyone, even Creed, felt for them.

It was outside the office, far away from the judging gaze of their coworkers, they could finally allow themselves to drop the animosity, the one upmanship and let their egos soften and meld together. That isn’t to say that they get along all the time or never find things to squabble about, no, if anything now they have more room to get into petty debates, especially on movie night.

“-I already told you, I don’t like-”

“-I sat through all of Enchanted last week, I-”

“-are you trying to tell me you didn’t enjoy Enchanted?”

“I listened to you sing through every song-”

“C’mon-”

“-and it’s my apartment and my food and I think I should get to pick the movie.” They stopped outside of Gabe’s door, he looked at Andy expectantly. Andy’s shoulders sagged slightly in defeat.

“Fine, but nothing too scary,” he whined. A bright grin broke across Gabe’s face as he unlocked the door.

“Oh no, of course not,” he said in a far too sweet tone, just sweet enough that Andy felt his palms start to sweat. “Help yourself to anything in the fridge, I’ve got wine and I think a frozen pizza if you want to toss that in the oven,” he said, sorting through his shelves of horror movies. Andy chuckled, pulling out the two items.

“Wow, dark horse rosé and a frozen pizza? Who cut your paycheck?” he called from the kitchen, prepping the oven. Gabe snorted.

“Well pardon me Mr. Trustfund but not all of us can spend all our money on the finer things,” he said.

“Hey, that's Sir Trustfund to you, mister,” Andy joked back. Somewhere along the line he started to appreciate Gabe’s, admittedly so, very dry wit. It stopped being annoying and weird and started being charming, and he secretly hopes Gabe feels the same way about his own strange Andy-isms.

Gabe smiled and did that little huff of air that Andy is pretty sure is a laugh but could be a mini asthma attack. He did have an asthma attack once when the elevator in his apartment was broken and they had to climb the stairs and Andy had to practically shove the inhaler into his mouth. He likes to think of it as a bonding moment for the two of them. Gabe walked over to Andy by the oven and rested his elbows on the nearby kitchen island.

“Is the oven ready? I picked out a movie.” he said in a sly tone of voice, his smile crooked and mischievous in a way that doesn’t make Andy totally blush.

“Yep, yep yep. I just put the pizza in a second ago. What movie did you pick?”

“Oh it's Ringu,” Gabe said cheerfully, drawing shapes on the countertop with one long finger.

“Ohhhh, isn’t that the one with the actress from The Christmas Wish with Neil Patrick Harris?” Andy said, sounding almost relieved that there might be a chance this was a romantic comedy horror movie. The feeling left when he heard Gabe’s snort-laugh.

“No, you’re thinking of the American remake The Ring, this is the superior Japanese original from 1998,” he replied, grabbing two glasses for wine and two plates, hearing the oven ding for one minute left.

“Oh god,” Andy whined.”This isn’t going to be like one of your Korean soap operas is it?” Andy remembered the time Gabe had convinced him into binge watching all of one soap opera on a weekend, and it was a test of his patience and his ability to stay awake.

“No it won’t be like that,” Gabe said grinning and waving a dismissive hand at Andy. “I promise you don’t need an asian fetish to enjoy this film.”

“Oh good,” Andy sighed, relieved.

“Or to be spooked by it!” Gabe said, putting on a faux eerie voice and wiggling his fingers ominously at Andy. It was so dumb that Andy couldn’t help but to break out in a laugh, which only made Gabe smile brighter.

“Go on now, you make yourself comfortable on the couch and I’ll finish up here,” Gabe said kindly, gently shooing Andy out of the kitchen. He peered out into the living room while plating up pizza, at Andy’s head peeking out over the top of his plush couch. Balancing the plates and wine on a serving tray, he was able to elegantly cross over into the living room and set the tray on the coffee table, tv still displaying the dvd startup screen. Andy looked nervously from the screen to Gabe.

“You said nothing too scary,” he said in a low voice, as if testing the waters of his own voice.

“Yeah I did, I don’t think Ringu is too scary, it isn’t like an Exorcist or a Hereditary.” Gabe remembered the first time he watched Hereditary, goosebumps crawling across his skin. It hit way too close to home to watch with anybody.

“Ok,” Andy replied.”But if I scream, know that it’s your fault!” Gabe laughed and hit play on the tv.

“I take full responsibility,” he said easily.

The movie started off well, easing them both, well, easing Andy into the dark atmosphere. And Andy was handling it pretty well, save for nervously chugging his wine during particularly tense scenes or whispering very empathically ‘don’t go in there’ which really only succeeded in making Gabe chuckle. Which honestly helped Andy calm down a little. Yeah, he thought he was handling the movie really well.

Until they watched the tape.

A short, high note escaped from Andy’s throat as he flung himself against Gabe, jostling the slight man. Gabe put an arm around Andy on instinct and hushed him as he did Erin, all that time ago.

“Hey, you’re alright, it’s only a movie Andy,” he said quietly, rubbing Andy’s back.

“Yeah, I know,” came Andy’s voice, defiant, even while muffled by Gabe’s sweater. He sat up straight, but didn’t shrug Gabe’s arm off of him.”It just startled me, it was like a, like a jumpscare.”

“Mmmhmmm, I believe you,” said Gabe, not believing him. Andy shot him a dirty look. It was unfair how he could keep his face neutral, his eyes big and doe like all while keeping a sarcastic tone.

The rest of the movie went much the same, something particularly spooky would happen, Andy would duck in Gabe’s shoulders and Gabe would laugh and hug Andy a little closer. It was only until the credits for the movie began to roll did they realize they were cuddling each other. Gabe’s cheek resting against Andy’s hair and Andy snuggled against Gabe’s sweater. Andy moved slightly from underneath Gabe, looking him eye to eye.

“Hey, uh, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t say anything about this to guys back at the office,” he said sheepishly, but just assertive enough to know that this was a big deal to him. Gabe blinked once in realization before replying.

“Oh, oh yeah of course not.” he said, words somehow soft and clipped. Andy shifted slightly, wetting his bottom lip with a quick peak of pink tongue.

“And, uh, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention this either,” Andy said, blush creeping over the collar of his shirt as he leaned in for a quick kiss on Gabe’s lips. Gabe barely had a moment to react before it was over, still leaned in towards Andy, a blush blooming hotly over his sickly pale skin, pupils blown so wide his eyes were nearly black.

“Can-can we do that again?” he asked, his traitorous voice only just above a whisper. His heart beat fast, like a witch's ritualistic drumming, pulse thrumming through every vein in his body, only to explode like the starburst of a dying galaxy at Andy’s mere nod. When they finally met, the sweet and opulent taste of wine on their mouths, swimming around their heads like cherry blossoms on a warm spring day, at his lip’s touch the incantation was complete.

Breaking apart, Andy could only focus on how misty Gabe’s normally bright blue eyes were, how his pink lips started to tremble.

“Hey, Gabe, are you okay,” he asked quietly, putting a warm hand on Gabe’s thin shoulder. Gabe sniffled and laughed quietly.

“Ohhhhh,” he moaned quietly. “Andy, I’ve come undone,” he sniffed. He leaned over, forehead resting just below Andy’s collar bone. Andy switched his hand placement for Gabe’s back, trailing up and down the bumps of his spine like the strings of a banjo. “You’re amazing,” he murmured. Andy chuckled awkwardly.

“Hey, uh, you’re not so bad yourself,” he joked lightly.

“No, I am,” Gabe said softly. “I’m just a corporate drone and everyone knows it.” Gabe knew this feeling well, the shame spirals. His brain plays a compilation of all the people, all the relationships he’s severed through his own self loathing.

_‘Do you like being alone with me right now?’_

_‘No, this is horrifying.’_

_‘I don’t like being alone with me either.’_

Andy couldn’t help it, it was how he comforted people best, he pulled Gabe into a hug, the taller man complying easily, legs wrapping around Andy’s waist, arms tucked protectively to his chest as Andy’s wrapped protectively around him.

“Maybe, maybe that’s how people who don’t know you see you, but that’s not how I see you.” Andy said quietly, staring past Gabe’s back into the open air. “I see someone who’s got a beautifully deep inner world, someone entrenched in a culture all his own. And I… I see someone who’s been dealt a shitty hand in life, but is entirely loveable.” He presses a kiss to moon pale temples like a communion of passion. “You’re so loveable.” Andy could hear light sniffling from Gabe.

“Don’t say that,” Gabe mumbled. He lifted his head to look at Andy, blue eyes warbling, rimmed with red. “Don’t say that, I don’t want to believe you.”

“Believe it, please believe it,” Andy said, running his thumb along Gabe’s lower lip and god, Gabe melted into his touch, starved and pathetic like a lifelong hostage. His eyes shut and in that moment, the faux narcissism melting away, his neurotic tendencies in bed, he lived in a world where he’s deserving of real, true, love.

“I can’t, oh god I can’t,” Gabe moaned. He lifted his hands from his chest and wrapped them around Andy’s shoulders. He snuggled his body even deeper in the embrace. His body touched starved for even the tap of a finger, this was ambrosia to a dying man.

“Well,” Andy sighed. “Will you let me convince you? Will you… I dunno. Give me the time to convince you how lovable you are?” Gabe imagined picnics, golden fields of wheat and checkered blankets. He imagined Andy drying his eyes after each nightmare. He imagined what it’d be like to let someone hold his heart so tenderly.

Gabe sniffled, drying his eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll uh, I’ll give you all the time you need,” he said softly, a smile starting to break from his lips. Andy broke into a stunning smile, bright and proud like the moon peeking out over the horizon at sunset. He brought his forehead to Gabe’s, the tips of their noses touching and he let out a breathy little noise.

“Okay,” he said. “That- I- I can’t wait,” he was smiling and his voice was soft and breathy and so sincere that Gabe broke out in his own smile. Andy closed his eyes and then laughed again.

“Do you think I can get in on some famous ‘Gabe Lewis Cuddles’? tonight?” he asked, somehow jokingly and so so sincere. Gabe averted his eyes slightly, sheepishly.

“I lied, girls don’t really like cuddling with me. I’m too many sharp edges,” he said, flexing his elbows for emphasis. Andy moved his hands to Gabe’s cheeks, moving their faces only so apart that they could make better eye contact.

“Hey, I’ve been right by your side all night, and I really enjoyed it, ok?” he said gently, but not gently like Gabe was a sick animal being told they’ll be taken to a farm but gently like Gabe was something expensive and delicate, like breaking him would be like breaking the altar of a dying god. And Gabe decided he likes being treated gently.

“Okay.”

Andy tried to carry Gabe bridal style to his own bedroom, only to find that Gabe’s shoes nearly grazed the floor, even while being carried,but Gabe still clung sweetly to Andy like he were a prince straight out of one of his Disney films.

And Gabe accidentally elbowed Andy in the gut during a night terror, but Andy just held Gabe and calmed him down until they both fell back into sleep.

And they woke up in each other’s arms to the silvery morning light.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this rarepair fic!! Please leave me a comment if you liked it bc I thrive on positive attention. Tho, I suppose I can't stop you from commenting if you didn't like it lol


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